Evolution of a Hero’s Role - Riki
Image by jawa
If Dota was a person, they would be 18 years old today. The first map of Dota was released on an unknown date in 2002. Over the long 18 years, a lot has changed, and today, Dota 2 is one of the premier esports titles backed by the supreme gaming organization Valve, and led by the fabled Icefrog.
How much have you changed in the last 18 years? I’m sure you’ve gone through some ups and downs, taking two steps forward, and one or three steps backward. A lot has changed but through it all, you’re still you.
Maybe then you can relate to 
Riki? Riki has been through identity crises like few heroes have. Is he a core? Is he a support? What is he? Even the designers at Dota don’t know.
Let’s start at 6.0...
In Riki’s liquipedia change logs, it starts off with a preview of things to come:
- Reworked Riki
- Made Permanent Invisibility his ultimate
In patch 6.0 on March 1st, 2005, Riki begins his identity crises with a huge change that we’ve seen multiple times in recent memory. Permanent invisibility was turned into his ultimate.
Riki is unique in that he’s the only hero that has invisibility as a passive ability. Every other hero has to activate invisibility or buy an item to turn invisible for a duration.
This ability is a core element of Riki but as we all know, invisibility is powerful in pub games. So it makes sense that the game designers struggled with a hero whose unique characteristic is an innately powerful ability.
From patches 6.0 to 6.81b, there were minor changes to Riki. Some buffs, Some nerfs, but invisibility being his ultimate was the main thing that stayed the same.
Riki in Dota 1. Image from dotawc3.com
Then in 6.82...
Then in patch 6.82 on September 24, 2014, everything changed.
- Permanent Invisibility is now a basic ability
- Blink Strike is now an Ultimate and can target Spell Immune
This was the same patch that made the fountain on higher ground and added Bounty Runes.
What was Valve trying to accomplish with this change? Did they envision Riki players would start playing him as a support? Or did they think that this would help him become a stronger core?
What did happen was Riki became this hybrid core or support but mostly a weak support. He became a clear position 4 and was rarely picked as a core.
In subsequent patches, Riki saw minor changes, mostly buffs.
Then in 6.86…
A new ultimate was added to Riki in patch 6.86 on December 16, 2015.
- Added a new ultimate for Riki, Tricks of the Trade
- Reworked Permanent Invisibility to include Backstab
Tricks of the Trade became a staple of Riki’s gameplay. Being only invisible and having Blink Strike wasn’t enough for his survivability and having Backstab as an ability he had to level made his contributions on the map limited.
Now Riki had an area of effect ability where he could phase-out of the world and damage enemies on top of all his other skills.
At this point, Riki was clearly a support, but an awkward one. He was a greedy 4 and was rarely picked in pro games because of this. As a core, his upside was rarely worth the risk, and as a support, he didn’t offer enough for pro teams to want to pick him.
This was the state of Riki until 7.23.
Image from facebook.com/Dota2AllStars
Then 7.23…
7.23 was when all the changes came full circle and Riki found his role.
Released on November 26, 2019, Riki saw the following changes:
- Cloak and Dagger is now the Ultimate
- Tricks of the Trade is now a basic ability
We’re back to 6.0 now.
This was the same patch where everyone got their own courier, free Observer Wards, Outposts were added, Neutral Items were added, and many other changes.
With invisibility now becoming his ultimate, Riki could no longer be played as a support. He was no longer in limbo between core and support, Valve said Riki is a core.
This change saw pro players beginning to pick Riki as a carry, a role he is now known as. We see players like Arteezy and
@cutcutcut playing Riki as their carry semi-regularly. In pub games, a Riki carry or core is now common.
Final thoughts
Riki is now a core. The changes to reach this point took many years and it arrived at the destination with invisibility being his ultimate. Riki’s core characteristic is his invisibility so it makes sense to make Cloak and Dagger his ultimate.
Just like 
Enigma’s core ability is Black Hole, just like 
Beastmaster’s core ability is Roar, and just like 
Lion’s core ability is Finger of Death, Riki’s core ability is Cloak and Dagger, all ultimates. Not Blink Strike, not Tricks of the Trade, Cloak and Dagger is his defining characteristic, so it should be his ultimate.
From September 24, 2014, to November 26, 2019, Riki was stuck in hero limbo. Not quite a support and not a core, Riki was a quirky pick for mainly specialists. Now it’s clear, Riki is a core. Until the cycle of changes begins again.
first :o
cool story but written terribly - lul.
I believe they have found the proper balance for Ricky
ПОЛЮЦИЯ РИКИ
"Cloak and Dagger is his defining characteristic, so it should be his ultimate."
Agree. Now it's also time to switch basic abilities with ultimates for Lone Druid, Bristleback, TB, Undying, POTM, Dazzle and a dozen of other heroes.
I don't want to bash and an analysis of the evolution of the hero through patches is interesting but the conclusion "riki is a core" is rather dumb. Riki has been a core for a long time now and is currently one of the top heroes in the meta. Maybe concluding with thoughts on where ice frog would like to take riki, and where he could be headed, would've been a better idea.
А как же рики через молнии после введения нового ульта, автор ты что?
where is riki death ward?
Rikis ultimate was witch doctor's ultimate.
No mention of smoke screen no longer slowing?
This feels like one of my essays i'd create in highschool
Riki is a core and he is OP at the moment. 190 flat mana cost on his spell kit (240 if u blink twice) ; smoke screen which silences in AoE and makes you miss a lot + 2 stacks escape + phasing out of the world which attacks you (one more escape) + perma invis after lvl 6 making supports life in the enemy team just pathetic... I don't know what Abdul was smoking with that one...
Defense of the Ancients was created in 2003 by Eul. Warcraft 3 was released in 2002.
Right before 7.23 Riki was an actual good midlaner because of his passive hp regen coming from cloak and dagger, I used to rush diff into aghs and playing him with a mobile core in your team like mk/ember really brought him to his full potential. It sucks cuz it wasn't discovered earlier but so be it.
feel like that 2 diffusal 2 hand joke is from my game. dont know, too many riki games
The history of computer games is a high-IQ topic. My eternal gratitude goes to those who keep track of the changes, on the Wikis and Gamepaedias! P.S. Riki was considered pub cancer and unpickable at the pro scene level in 2013.
nice build up . Pepeg final thought.
Riki was one of the best pos 4's, and subsequently one of the best offlaners for almost 2 years, and you just skip that? This article is kinda poorly written.
An Archon saying Riki is OP, that's great to hear!
theres lot to add in this article, riki have up and down i think it would be wise to tell which is, remember smoke does slow? and when they give enemy on smoke 0 vision? or when 5 bf riki is absurbly stronger than old ember spirit build that they had to nerf it because its too op?
I have played DOTA before riki has been added to this game, when fountain was in the midddle of the map. Anyway author of this topic never played old versions. There is no word about 1st riki ultimate - death ward (the same as WD now).
For a historical article this covers extremely little history.
There's a few things that I think should be added:
1) What was riki like before the 2005 change - i.e. when he had death ward etc
2) What was riki's playstyle after the 2005 change - was he picked at all? What items did he go?
3) After the 6.82 change, how exactly did this translate into a new playstyle - was he just mimicking the support bounty or did he offer real damage? Notable example Boboka riki with his triple ring of aquila.
4) Also significant are the various stat changes over the patches. As riki lost his permanent invisbility at level 1, he ended up getting huge buffs to base damage, regen etc and losing base agility. This changed his laning considerably.
Likely honestly this article has a huge ammount of potential and could tell a really interesting story. Unfortunately this is written terribly and feels like the writer has very little insight into the hero and the only research they have done is by looking up the dota 2 wiki.
Hmm I'm not sure if I agree with this conclusion...
Riki is overpowered as F now in terms of sustain, hp regen, armor... he has more starting armor than jug and more hp regen.
He's an overpowered laner in general now whereas before he was really squishy, really trash other than his stealth. So I don't think you can just conclude he can't play support just because pros haven't tried it...
He's probably better support now than he was before... it's just I don't play him cuz he so brokenly OP... only reason I haven't tried support riki lately...
My riki games:
https://www.dotabuff.com/players/19672591/matches?hero=riki
если что с 6.86 и до 7.23 были и другие изменения, делали ультимативный блинк с зарядами, сам скил Tricks of the Trade в один момент переработали (скил перестал бить всех в области с кулдауном удара в 1с, в тот же момент он стал бить рандомную цель с кд 0.4с что сильно поменяло геймплей и сделало 4-позицию на герое весьма удачной) так же были патчи с еще старыми дифузами, которые не имели кулдауна, дасты ставали просто бесполезным мусором против героя, как и другие скилы работающие по принципу дастов, все это в сумме делало героя достаточно сильным
Great Job. I really enjoy your content and would love to see more. Keep up the good work.